News of the Day From Across the Nation

1Alligator ban: Louisiana is suing California over its decision to ban the import and sale of alligator products, saying the ban will hurt an important Louisiana industry and ultimately could hurt the state’s wetlands. In a lawsuit filed last week, Louisiana said the economy surrounding alligators has played a key role in bringing back the alligator population and is an important factor in protecting wetlands and other species that depend on the wetlands. The suit says the alligator industry provides economic incentives for landowners to take steps to protect marshlands that serve as habitat for the alligators.

2 Police shooting: Two New York City police officers shot and wounded a man wielding an “imitation firearm“ Saturday in the Bronx, authorities said. The man was in critical condition, NYPD Chief of Patrol Fausto Pichardo said at a news conference “The officers approached the male, who was holding a weapon in his hand,“ Pichardo said. “The officers ordered the suspect to show them his hands, when he pointed the weapon toward the officers. Two uniformed officers discharged their weapons, striking the suspect in the torso.” An internal NYPD division is investigating.

3 Sexual battery: A Georgia man who was videotaped slapping a female reporter’s rear on live TV was arrested Friday on a misdemeanor charge of sexual battery. Savannah police spokeswoman Bianca Johnson said Thomas Callaway, 43, was charged in connection with the incident that occurred while WSAV-TV reporter Alex Bozarjian was broadcasting live as runners streamed past her on a prominent bridge in the coastal city. Sexual battery is a misdemeanor in Georgia, punishable by up to a year in jail. State law defines the crime as making “physical contact with the intimate parts of the body of another person without the consent of that person.”

4 Sex abuse sentence: A Tennessee pastor faces 38 years in prison after being found guilty on 24 counts involving child sex abuse. News outlets report that 41-year-old Ronnie Gorton received the sentence Friday in Tipton County. He was convicted on charges including sexual battery and statutory rape. Judge Joe Walker said at the sentencing that Gorton used his position of authority as he “groomed minors for his sexual perversion.” An 18-year-old victim said Gorton justified his actions by citing a Bible verse that said “holding each other is just a way to show love.” The pastor still faces trials involving two other teenagers who accused him of rape. One was 12 at the time.

5Newtown anniversary: Vigils were held Saturday in Connecticut to mark the seventh anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and remember victims of other gun violence since the tragedy in Newtown. Twenty first-graders and six educators were killed at the school on Dec. 14, 2012. The annual memorial began with the reading of the names of the victims. More than 700,000 Americans have been killed or injured in gun violence since the Sandy Hook shooting, according to Connecticut Against Gun Violence.